The Houston Ship Channel is a busy ribbon of water that meanders between Galveston and Houston, serving many of America's petroleum refining and chemical plants. It looks calm, but that is about to change. A plan to embarrass the new President has been hijacked by a middle eastern terrorist and his beautiful Oriental assistant. Two weapons of mass destruction, one modern and one ancient, are headed for Houston along with one very nasty terrorist. A televangelist, archaeologist, park ranger and two FBI agents will become embroiled in the efforts to identify and foil the plan. Along the way, an unlikely love affair will develop. Can anyone stop the terrorists before they assasinate the President, cripple America's refining capacity and kill several million people? Finding the answer will take you from an archaeological dig in the Yucatan to a remote Russian Port and finally to the heart stopping climax at a Presidential news conference on the steps of the 560 foot tall San Jacinto Monument. If you are tired of suspense novels with pattern plots and cookie cutter characters, you will appreciate The Time Before. The characters are vivid and memorable. The plot is original and the author is not afraid to cross genre lines to weave a good story.